Getting to know: LB Keandre Jones |
The Bears added a ton of depth to their linebacking core following the draft by signing not one, but four linebackers via the undrafted waiver wire. While most of these players are going to be ticketed to the practice squad at best, don’t expect them just to roll over as I expect a lot of good play and competition from them most of the preseason.
One of those linebackers was that of Keandre Jones from the University of Maryland. Smaller in size, the 6-3 220 pounder began his career at Ohio State for three seasons before ultimately transferring to Maryland to finish off his college career. In one season with the Terps, Jones finally had a chance to showcase his stuff and played a crucial role in their defense. After playing in just 16 games over three seasons with the Buckeyes, Jones saw action in all 12 games for the Terps last year as that was the first time he was given a significant role. He finished the season with 73 tackles, including a ridiculous 14.5 tackles for a loss to go with seven sacks as he was a menace in the backfield. Jones capped off his college career with 102 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, and eight sacks over his four years. While his career numbers are not great, you need to look at this senior season with Maryland to get a full aspect of what he can do on the field. There is no question that Jones has a ton of talent and ability, and had he been given a chance to shine before arriving in College Park, you are probably looking at a mid-round type of talent so the Bears may be on to something with him. Not only did Jones flash his potential last year, but he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, so the talent level was always there. Sure, a bit undersized for most linebackers, but when you run a 4.64 40 yard dash time at that position, teams often ignore the size and focus more on the speed as he can bring down any ball carrier at any time. Jones is tall for a linebacker, but he is extremely athletic and very fast. His athletic ability allows him to do all kinds of things on the defensive side of the ball, which forced offenses to shift their focus to him more often than not. Given his speed, Jones has demonstrated above-average coverage skills in space and can play in both man to man and zone defensive schemes. The Bears are going to be able to use his versatility a lot as he is viewed as a hybrid linebacker and someone who could make the change to safety, given his speed and athletic nature. Chicago can line Jones up anywhere on the field as his speed allows him to make plays from sideline to sideline, which will give offenses fits for years to come. For Jones to get a full shot at making this roster, he needs to improve some aspects of his game. For starters, he needs to improve his overall skill when it comes to making his best move as he is not the best at tackling guys one on one surprisingly. For him to stay at the linebacker position, he must add some weight to that frame; otherwise, a move to safety may be in the cards. Focusing on the added weight side of things would allow Jones to improve his run-stopping abilities and become a solid tackler that not too many players could run through. Finding the right fit position-wise for him will be his biggest key moving forward as he hasn’t peaked as a player just yet. Jones is an extremely versatile defender who has a chance to be a productive player at the next level. If he can continue to mature, he has the opportunity to become a decent hybrid linebacker in the Bears system, which is what they have been looking for to pair with Mack. Jones reminds me a lot of Erik Kendricks in terms of speed, versatility, and coverage ability, but the tackling is not quite there. Should Chicago give him a chance to make this team, which I expect he will, not only did the Bears get a steal in the undrafted rookie class, but they got a potential starter on defense down the road.
